Strike outs, error hurt team early

Chris Herron has a message for his team. Mistakes don't win baseball games.

The Chieftains lost games 7-6 and 15-4 last week at Jefferson West. Committing 11 errors didn't help.

Tonganoxie led 6-4 with two out in the bottom of the seventh of the first game. A single and a walk put the tying runs on base.

With the count 1-2, the batter hit an outside pitch over the fence.

"The kid just went with the pitch," Herron said. "The walk killed us in that situation."

However, he was quick to add, five errors in the game were just as destructive, allowing Jefferson West to stick around.

The second game was never close. Jared Walters developed a sore arm while pitching in the first inning.

Tonganoxie used five pitchers, the most effective of whom, Matt Alexander, is a sophomore.

"We're making too many errors, striking out too many times," Herron said.

Two Tonganoxie players are batting .100 for the season. The team is batting .292. The Chieftains played Perry-Lecompton Tuesday.

Junior varsityThe junior varsity won a wild game Monday against Jefferson West.

The Chieftains looked lethargic on offense early in the game. In the fifth, however, Tonganoxie loaded the bases.

With one out Derek Carothers doubled, driving in two runs. The runs tied the game 3-3. A sacrifice fly, a triple and two Jefferson West errors contributed to five more Tonganoxie runs.

The Chieftains had the game in hand, leading 8-3 with two out in the seventh. An errant throw from Scott Jewel at third base to Carothers at first on a force that could have ended the game let Jefferson West back into the game.

After the visitors scored three runs and got the go-ahead run to the plate, Jewel fielded a ground ball and threw out the batter at first for the final out of the game.